Tag: Disney

Two TV Shows I Am Enjoying

Always looking for entertaining TV shows, I thought it would be fun to share a couple that I am currently loving. I watch all sorts of dramas and comedies and sometimes documentaries as well as films on TV streaming services. Today I am talking about two TV shows that are keeping me hooked for different reasons.

I am enough of a TV fan to pay for lots of streaming apps that I dip into all of the time. I use Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Netflix, Now TV, Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime. It sounds like a lot but I treat myself to these and definitely get a lot out of watching them.

And Just Like That (Season 2)

Having been a regular viewer of the excellent ‘Sex and the City’ series back in the 90s, I was always going to try the new incarnation. Already on its second season, the revamp of SITC is already a hit.

Seeing Carrie Bradshaw going through midlife challenges alongside her trusty friends is satisfying. Instead of writing a column for a newspaper, she is now a successful podcast contributor and novelist.

Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is back with Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and some new mates. Miranda is getting to grips with being bisexual and struggling to negotiate a separation from Steve. Meanwhile, Charlotte is parenting two teenagers who keep her on her feet.

The storylines have been varied and funny. I have laughed out loud at some scenes and had teary eyes during the dramatic parts.

The Bear (Season 1)

This fast-paced show is about a chef who has taken on the family business, an American diner, after his brother died. Having worked in a top class restaurant in Copenhagen, Carmen (Jeremy White) leads a great cast in a programme about competition, survival and family ties.

Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) comes on as second-in-charge but as a young chef she finds it hard to win over a long standing cook. The interaction between the characters is believable and interesting, with heightened emotions coupled with kitchen disasters and moments of silliness.

I feel like I am learning about the fine art of cooking while also gobbling up plenty of drama with every episode. The acting is strong and the half hour instalments are really gripping.

The series is edgy as the restaurant, called BEEF, often has breakages which result in inventive money raising. For instance a fridge condenser needs repairing and so the owner’s cousin decides to sell drugs in order to fix the fridge and get the place on track.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t tried either of these programmes, you definitely should. The Bear is on Disney Plus and was nominated for awards. It will be back with its second series on 19th July.

And Just Like That has returned with great storylines and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour. It is well worth checking out on Now TV or Sky.

Thank you for reading my article about two TV shows I am enjoying. You can find out about another great Paramount TV show called YellowJackets here. Please drop a comment below about any of these programmes. Perhaps also follow my blog for similar future TV, film and book reviews alongside environmental articles.

The Little Mermaid 2023 Review

This is weird but I decided to watch the new Disney version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ without having seen the original. I mean, I knew the main songs from Disney compilations and specials. But I never got round to watching the whole first movie. Anyway, I was keen to try out the live action version so here is my The Little Mermaid 2023 review.

On a recent visit to Denmark I was shown where the writer of the Little Mermaid actually lived (see photo). I also got to see a remarkable statue of a Merman (below) and one of a Mermaid (but it was raining so I never got a good picture of that one).

The Merman.

The home of storyteller Hans Christian Anderson

My Review

I was interested in the movie as it was directed by Rob Marshall who has a great track record. I enjoyed his recent ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ film and ‘Into The Woods’ a few years before. I’d also seen Jonah Hauer-King in the dramatic series ‘World On Fire’ and ‘Flatshare’ so wanted to see how he portrayed Prince Eric.

Halle Bailey was introduced to the role of Ariel and her singing voice was perfect for this. She sang ‘Part Of That World’ so brilliantly and her acting was believable. She and Jonah worked well together as potential lovers. The original songs were added to with a lovely song for Prince Eric, which he performed flawlessly.

Melissa McCarthy played an evil sea witch known as Ursula. She was a good fit for that role and showcased her comedy skills alongside her singing and threatening side. With side characters such as a seagull, a fish and a lobster, the cast was complete.

The CGI was really magical and the storyline was paced nicely. The only thing that irritated me was a rap that the seagull did which felt out of place.

Final Thoughts

The Little Mermaid 2023 was magical and the soundtrack soothing. I especially enjoyed the performances by Halle, Jonah and Melissa. I would totally recommend checking out this two hours and fifteen minutes live action remake. It is heart-warming, keeps you interested and full of Disney beauty.

For my last movie review, check out my The Mother Film Review. Also, please consider following my blog for future reviews and similar content.

Two TV Shows Worth Watching

Lately I have been watching a lot of TV, trying to catch up on all the series that I love. Some are shows that I have seen before, like the third season of ‘Emily In Paris’ and others are brand new, like ‘Wednesday’ (both of which are on Netflix).

I thought I would highlight a couple of brilliant TV shows that I am currently enjoying. These have been really entertaining in their own unique ways. So if you want to open that box of chocolates that is left over from the holidays and find some really good TV shows to watch, hopefully I can lead you in the direction of some that are both satisfying and moreish.

Andor (Disney Plus)

As a massive Star Wars fan, it was inevitable that I was going to check out the latest Lucasfilm production which is set during the times of Emporer Palpatine.

Andor even has Storm Troopers in it.

Having watched and enjoyed ‘The Mandalorian’ as well as ‘Obi-Wan’ but not been so keen on ‘The Book of Boba Fett’, Andor could have gone either way.

Luckily, its twelve episodes were cleverly written and its lead characters were compelling. Cassian Andor had a difficult past, being rescued from his troubled planet by Maarva Andor (played by the ever-brilliant Fiona Shaw) who brought him up on the industrial planet of Ferrix.

A Great Plot!

Cassian started the story searching for his sister but became wound up in a mission to destroy an Empire fortress on a planet not unlike Scotland. With a secretive Luthan (Stellan Skarsgard) directing him initially, he finds that later his efforts are being sniffed out by a formidable Empire Supervisor. Denise Gough plays the very serious Dedra who is determined to get to the bottom of stolen resources.

The story is captivating, full of twists and turns and definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. With a stand-out performance by Andy Serkis (of Lord of the Rings) and such an incredible cast, this is by far the best series that the Star Wars people have made and I cannot wait until season two.

Young Royals (Netflix)

If this were a book it would be a YA fiction novel. We are now on the second series of Young Royals and I feel that the drama has got even better. Willhelm – the eventual Crowned Prince of Sweden – is at a private school and secretly fell in love with another student, Simon.

Not wishing to spoil anything but their love affair is the main context for the TV show and was explored in season one. Watching the students go through Swedish traditions, whilst negotiating going into adulthood is interesting and fraught.

The Queen was initially not impressed to find that Willhelm’s affair had been exposed by a mystery cameraman. Willhelm gave a statement to deny that it was him rolling around with poor Simon. The story then intensified from that point. I am currently midway through the action as twists and turns take these brilliant actors through fun, awkwardness and turmoil.

If you are not a Swedish speaker then obviously this is well subtitled. I find it hugely entertaining and great to see LGBTQ lead characters in a story about modern royalty.

In A Nutshell

In my opinion, both of these programmes are wonderful in their own distinct ways. Young Royals is modern and fresh, making my own stuffy royal family look very stale. This series explores great characters, beautiful settings and introducing us to swedish culture.

For meAndor is slow to start (as it needs to be) before charging full throttle. It whips us through a whole host of adventures at light-speed. The script is penned so that you often wonder why some remote bits are happening and then later realise they are all cleverly interwoven into the plot, connecting all of the dots in a thrilling narrative.

Final Thought

I hope that I have given you some ideas for interesting TV shows to view tonight. Maybe they will keep you coming back for more. They definitely kept me entertained as they drew me into their intriguing plots.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post. I hope that you will comment your thoughts underneath and consider following my blog for more book and TV reviews as well as environmental articles.

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